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Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American dystopian science fiction thriller film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young and Edward James Olmos. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. The film depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in November 2019 in which genetically engineered organic robots called replicants—visually indistinguishable from adult humans—are manufactured by the powerful Tyrell Corporation as well as by other "mega-corporations" around the world. Their use on Earth is banned and replicants are exclusively used for dangerous, menial or leisure work on off-world colonies. Replicants who defy the ban and return to Earth are hunted down and "retired" by police special operatives known as "Blade Runners". The plot focuses on a desperate group of recently escaped replicants hiding in Los Angeles and the burnt-out expert Blade Runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who reluctantly agrees to take on one more assignment to hunt them down. Blade Runner initially polarized critics: some were displeased with the pacing, while others enjoyed its thematic complexity. The film performed poorly in North American theaters but has since become a cult film. It has been hailed for its production design, depicting a "retrofitted" future, and remains a leading example of the neo-noir genre. It brought the work of Philip K. Dick to the attention of Hollywood and several later films were based on his work. Ridley Scott regards Blade Runner as "probably" his most complete and personal film. In 1993, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Seven versions of the film have been shown for various markets as a result of controversial changes made by film executives. A rushed Director's Cut was released in 1992 after a strong response to workprint screenings. This, in conjunction with its popularity as a video rental, made it one of the first films released on DVD, resulting in a basic disc with mediocre video and audio quality.8 In 2007, Warner Bros. released The Final Cut, a 25th anniversary digitally remastered version by Scott in select theaters, and subsequently on DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray Disc.9 Plot Note: There are several versions of Blade Runner. In Los Angeles, November 2019, retired police officer Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is detained by officer Gaff (Edward James Olmos) and brought to meet with his former supervisor, Bryant (M. Emmet Walsh). Deckard, whose job as a "Blade Runner" was to track down bioengineered beings known as replicants and "retire" (euphemism for the termination of replicants) them, is told by Bryant that several have come to Earth illegally; as Tyrell Corporation Nexus-6 models, they have only a four-year lifespan and may have come to Earth to try to extend their lives. Deckard watches a video of a Blade Runner named Holden (Morgan Paull) administering a "Voight-Kampff" test designed to distinguish replicants from humans based on their empathic response to questions. The subject of the test, Leon (Brion James), shoots Holden after Holden asks about Leon's mother. Bryant wants Deckard to retire Leon and three other replicants—Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) and Pris (Daryl Hannah). Deckard refuses, but after Bryant ambiguously threatens him, Deckard reluctantly agrees. Deckard is sent to the Tyrell Corporation to ensure that the test works on Nexus-6 models. There he discovers that Tyrell's (Joe Turkel) assistant Rachael (Sean Young) is an experimental replicant who believes herself to be human. Rachael's consciousness has been enhanced with false memories to provide an "emotional cushion" and, as a result, a more extensive test is required to determine whether she is a replicant. Roy and Leon go to the eye-manufacturing laboratory of Chew (James Hong) to try to find a way to meet with Tyrell. He is unable to provide them with information, but in fear for his life, he divulges the identity of J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson), a gifted designer who works closely with Tyrell. Rachael visits Deckard at his apartment to prove her humanity by showing him a family photo, but after Deckard tells her that her memories are only implants taken from a real person, she drops the photograph and leaves his apartment in tears. Pris gains the confidence of Sebastian at his apartment, where he lives with manufactured companions. While searching Leon's apartment, Deckard finds a photo of Zhora and a synthetic snake scale that leads him to a strip club where Zhora works. Deckard retires Zhora and shortly after is told by Bryant to add Rachael to his list of retirements because she has disappeared from the Tyrell Corporation headquarters. Deckard spots Rachael in a crowd but is attacked by Leon. Rachael kills Leon using Deckard's gun, and the two return to Deckard's apartment, where he promises not to hunt her. Later they share an intimate moment; Rachael then tries to leave, but Deckard physically restrains her. Arriving at Sebastian's apartment, Roy tells Pris the others are dead. Sympathetic to their plight, Sebastian reveals that because of a genetic disorder that accelerates his aging, his life will also be cut short. Sebastian and Roy gain entrance into Tyrell's secure penthouse, where Roy demands more life from his maker. Tyrell tells him that it is impossible. Roy confesses his guilt that he has done "questionable things" which Tyrell dismisses, praising Roy's advanced design and his accomplishments. Roy responds with "nothing the god of biomechanics wouldn't let you into heaven for" and kisses Tyrell, then kills him. Sebastian runs for the elevator followed by Roy, who then rides the elevator down alone. Upon entering Sebastian's apartment, Deckard is ambushed by Pris, but manages to kill her just as Roy returns. Roy fights Deckard without using his full strength against him, instead chasing him through the building and arriving on the roof. In an attempt to escape, Deckard tries to jump to another roof, but ends up hanging from the rooftop. Just as he is about to fall, Roy saves him. As his life runs out, Roy delivers a monologue about how his memories are about to be lost. Then he dies in front of Deckard, who watches silently. Gaff arrives and, referring to Rachael, shouts to Deckard, "It's too bad she won't live, but then again, who does?" Deckard returns to his apartment to find Rachael sleeping in his bed; as they leave, Deckard finds a small tin-foil unicorn, a calling card left by his origami-making partner Gaff. Depending on the version, Deckard and Rachael either leave the apartment block to an uncertain future, or drive through an idyllic pastoral landscape. Cast *Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard *Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty *Sean Young as Rachael *Edward James Olmos as Gaff *M. Emmet Walsh as Bryant *Daryl Hannah as Pris *William Sanderson as J.F. Sebastian *Brion James as Leon Kowalski *Joe Turkel as Dr. Eldon Tyrell *Joanna Cassidy as Zhora *James Hong as Hannibal Chew *Morgan Paull as Holden *Kevin Thompson as Bear *John Edward Allen as Kaiser *Hy Pyke as Taffey Lewis *Kimiko Hiroshige as Cambodian Lady *Bob Okazaki as Howie Lee *Carolyn DeMirjian as Saleslady External links * Category:Films Category:1982 release Category:Harrison Ford films